U2 Live In London Last Weekend

U2 played twice in London last weekend. On Thursday they performed at the Top of the Pops studio for the BBC1 chart show, the first time they have appeared in the studios for the show since the1980's.

Unusually, instead of performing the current single Beautiful Day, the band played Elevation, another track off the new album which they have been playing regulary as they have showcased the new album.

Next day, Friday, U2 turned up at the London Television Centre to perform three songs for the Saturday morning ITV show CD:UK. Some 150 U2 fans had managed to get tickets for the special, luckily chancing across the news of their availability on U2.Com last Wednesday.

Some fans, dropped everything to get to the show - regardless of minor geographical difficulties.

Luka Lorenci and Andrae Brzin (pictured) are fans from Slovenia. By the time they picked up on the ticket news from the web-site - and called the London offices of Powerhouse, who were organising the guest-list - it appeared to be too late.

'They said they had all the fans they could manage but I begged on the phone for 10 minutes,' said Luka. 'And eventually they agreed to put us on the list and then we flew over to London on Thursday.'

And, while the trip was expensive and the set was short, it was worth it to be that close to his favourite band.

'I've seen them before on the Zoo TV tour but this concert was so intimate, it was so great to be so close.'

So close that he even persuaded Bono to lean down from the stage between songs and give him an autograph. The band performed Beautiful Day twice, then Elevation and, as a surprise, a beautiful rendition of Stuck In A Moment - suggesting that this will be a showstopper when the tour starts in the Spring.

Chamakiotis Vaggelis travelled from Athens in Greece to catch the show.

' I couldn't believe it when I saw they were offering tickets to this concert, this is the best band in the world and to see them in such a small place...

'I have seen them before at Wembley Stadium and in Thessalonika - but this was special.'